Boundaries

Last week I shared about how out little dog Angel was hit by the Fed Ex truck. It was a sad week for our family, but we are adjusting to life without our little white furry Angel!

This week I want to explore another truth that is revealed by this incident: Boundaries, and why we need them!

We had in our yard one of those invisible fences. A small wire that circumvents the yard, and when Angel came within a certain distance of the wire, about five feet, her collar would start beeping. It was a warning to her that she was getting too close to the boundary. If she came any closer, say three feet, her collar would give her a little ‘shock’. Nothing harmful, but certainly an attention getter! Within a few days, she knew the boundaries, and she would go right up to the ‘beeping boundary’, and stop.

Yet once in a while, the battery would go dead, or the wire would break. We would be alerted to this fact because Angel would start to wander outside of the boundary. Now Angel did not have an evil ‘wandering heart’, she just wanted to explore the wide world beyond our yard. But, as we saw so clearly last week, it is a dangerous world out there. There are Fed trucks, and other things that could harm her.

My point it this… God has given us boundaries. Very clear ones. They are contained in His word, the bible. I can look at those boundaries from two perspectives… (1) They CONFINE ME, or (2) They protect me.

I have found that when I cross one of God’s boundaries – trespass if you will – it brings me nothing but trouble: Guilt and shame before God and man, and on top of that pain and trouble. I have found that God’s boundaries are given to me to protect me from the consequences of sin. God has placed boundaries in our life because He loves us, and He wants what is best for us. He has also given us a “warning”, which it the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Its that little unction in our heart that goes off before we sin.

You see my view of God’s word must be based on the premise that God loves me, and that He cares for me! It must be based on the understanding that God created me, and He knows what is best for me. When I see God’s word in this context, I am willing to abide in His word, and to stay within His boundaries. I trust that He will keep me safe inside the fence of His grace, and I will be protected from the consequences of wandering outside of those boundaries. I won’t get hit by the Fed Ex truck!

Blessed are the undefiled in the way,
Who walk in the law of the LORD!
Blessed are those who keep His testimonies,
Who seek Him with the whole heart!
They also do no iniquity;
They walk in His ways.
Ps 119:1-3 NKJV

...till the whole world hears,

Pastor Clay